


Practice

by mintfrosting



Category: Takarazuka Revue RPF
Genre: Awkwardness, Drinking, F/F, Femslash, POV First Person, RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-07-22 06:05:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7422862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintfrosting/pseuds/mintfrosting
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Beni just isn’t feeling the chemistry during rehearsals for Gone With The Wind, she asks Coto to participate in a little extra practice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Practice

**Author's Note:**

> Deals with some of my own feelings about their lack of chemistry and what could have caused it.
> 
> Originally posted on LJ in 2015. Revised since.

Rehearsing as Scarlett always gave me a headache.

I was still dressed in a leotard with a hideous green skirt, and my hair was pinned back as well as it could be. Strands were falling loose by now, and I seemed to ache all over - not even from rehearsal really, but just from the pressure of this role.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and it was Sayumi.

“Coto, wait here, okay?” she told me. “I think we should talk.”

Without thinking, I gave her a confused sort of look, but I nodded, sure that she was right.

So when everyone had left but the two of us, Sayumi pulled up a chair to sit just opposite me. She looked incredibly handsome dressed all in black clothes that fit her really well, and her black hair slicked back. Her eyes looked so soulful, and her cheekbones were dusted with somehow very elegant-looking peach blush. The first thing she did was give me a funny little smile, and I had to give one back. Finally it was too much just to look at her face, and I looked away, trying not to laugh.

“So what’s the matter?” I asked, and Sayumi gave a big sigh.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Are you feeling it?”

“Feeling what?” I wanted to make sure I understood her before I would answer.

“You know…” She shrugged, making another strange face. “The romance? Should I call it romance...”

I nodded. “Right… I don’t know.”

“It’s not to say that you’re not…” Sayumi paused, holding out her hands as though to give me something. “...doing very well.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

“ _Very_ well,” she repeated, and her eyes looked so earnest.

“Thank you,” I told her, smoothing my skirt over my knees.

“It’s just that sometimes…” Sayumi fiddled with her hands. “The usual rehearsals aren’t enough.”

“What do you mean?”

Sayumi sighed then, leaning back in her seat. “May I tell you a story?” she asked, and I agreed. She paused for a moment, as though deciding how to start. “This time… you see… There was a time when… Uh- that is…” She put her face in her hand, defeated.

“Go on?”

“So I said to Nene,” she told me, getting right to the point. “Do you think we should try a real kiss?” She gave me a look as though gauging my reaction, but promptly went on. “And… it helped.”

Was she saying that she wanted to kiss me?

“When was that?” I asked, trying to come up with the proper reaction, but mostly just nervously scratching at my arm.

Sayumi waved her hand in the air. “Uhh, three years ago, no matter. I think it really helped. I know it did. A lot.” She couldn’t even look at me then, just sort of twitching her face in that way she does.

So I stood up, serious as anything, resigned to go through with her idea.

“Okay,” I said. “Kiss me.”

Sayumi looked up at me all wide eyes and nerves. She glanced sideways, as though someone else might step in to do it for her. Then she grabbed her knees, stood up, and looked me right in the eyes.

I could feel my heart pounding like a drum, to the point where it seemed as though Sayumi would hear it. It wasn’t that I really felt attracted to her, nothing more than admiration, but the nerves were intense. I just wanted her to get it over with.

“Go on,” I said.

Sayumi looked serious then - not like the kind of serious she tries to act out, but a real determination. She took my face in her hands quite firmly, but then adjusted, not sure how to hold me. Then she leaned in, I shut my eyes, and felt her lips… abruptly kiss my cheek.

“Come on,” I said, and a moment later her lips were pressed on mine in a way that was entirely too firm and abrupt. I don’t know how my face looked then, but I definitely thought she could do better.

“Sorry,” said Sayumi, just taking a pause. It made me all the more startled when she kissed me again, and it was soft, and sweet, and made my knees feel weak.

Shit. What? We both gave each other funny looks when that was over, and she glanced down at my hand where it was clutching her sleeve. Then Sayumi gave the craziest little nervous laugh, and let go of me, turning away.

I slipped my hair behind my ear, trying to comprehend what we had just done. Or more like what she had just done to me. Sure, I’ve been interested in women like her since I was old enough to know I liked girls, but I just didn’t think that Sayumi could do that to me. We hadn’t developed much of a relationship yet, beyond upperclassman and student, with anything beyond that being offhand jokes or other goofiness. She seemed like the kind of person who could make friends easily, and I could see that in our future, but I never could have seen this coming.

Now on top of the headache... my head was spinning.

“Too bad there’s not really anything to drink in those props,” said Sayumi, with a wave toward the place where she had last held her stand-in plastic cup and pretended to be drunk off her ass.

“Yeah,” I said, feeling a nervous laugh come out of me.

“Uhh…” She held out her hands at her sides as though at a loss. “Should we try again?”

I shrugged, and heard myself say, “Yeah.”

Sayumi held my waist that time, and I almost backed away when I saw the look in her eyes. It was so amorous, so passionate - how did she do that? I tried to look away, but it was far too late. She kissed me again, and I was absolutely lost. Somehow my hands ended up on her jacket, and I kissed her back, but none of it was deliberate. It just happened, as though someone else was controlling my body. Though I guess that was true… in her way, she was.

I couldn’t have prepared myself for her tongue in my mouth. I mean, how do you get ready for something like that? Sayumi was too eager, almost forceful in the way she kissed me, and yet, I didn’t mind.

Then it was over, and she stepped back. My heart was thumping, and when I licked my lips, I could taste her strawberry chapstick. I felt far too close to her now, and yet, still not close enough.

Sayumi smoothed back her hair and straightened her jacket. “Well then,” she said.

I guess I made some sort of sound.

“That… was…” She made a silly unsure face. Then some nervous sort of chuckling, and looking up at me.

“Uh-huh,” I replied.

Sayumi shrugged, again at a loss. It seemed as though she had nothing more to say, and all I could do was wonder what she was thinking.

“We should…” She paused - to consider her words, I assume. “Spend some time. After practice tomorrow.”

Who was I to question an upperclassman? I agreed, went to gather my things to leave, and promptly tripped over my skirt.

“Coto!” Sayumi reached to catch me, and I felt ridiculous. When did my life become a shoujo romance?

“I’m fine,” I told her, pulling away, but no doubt my heart had skipped a beat.

Why me?

 

Rehearsal went on the next day as though nothing had happened. We are both professionals, and we can’t let emotions get in the way of our work. Not that I knew how Sayumi was feeling… She seemed unaffected enough. But then, so did I, with enough coffee and determination.

Then I realized the next day was a day off. You might think I would know that ahead of time, but I do tend to throw myself into my work. How else am I supposed to become top star by the time I’m twenty-eight?

But the point is, there wouldn't be any set time to wake up and get ready, and that put all sorts of thoughts in my head. Like what if Sayumi wanted to take me home and get on with even more “practice?”

She wouldn’t. Or would she?

I told myself I would follow her lead. And who would have guessed, Sayumi did take me home with her. I mean, alright, maybe it’s not too proper to be seen together in a bar, for example. But why her apartment? With her bed there and everything....

 

She told me to have a seat, then disappeared into the kitchen and brought us back something to drink. I was so glad to see that glass of wine.

“Thank you,” I said, and sipped way too eagerly. I found myself coughing a bit, not because it was too strong, but I took too big a gulp, and it was cold and overpowering.

“Is it alright?” Sayumi asked, glancing at her own glass like she was afraid she had made a bad choice of chardonnay.

“It’s fine,” I told her. “Drank too fast.” I went on taking tiny little sips instead.

“So how are you?” Sayumi asked as she took a seat opposite myself.

“Fine,” I told her, and actually smiled. “I feel a lot better in my own clothes.”

“Ahh.” Sayumi looked so elegant sipping her wine, with those long fingers of hers cradling the glass. “Not a fan of the skirt?”

“Well.” I shrugged. “I’m just not really used to it, you know?”

She nodded, amused. “I know the feeling.”

“Right...”

Sayumi looked me up and down then, and I swear she licked her lips. Her eyes were almost like that look before she kissed me, that amorous look.

I guess she preferred me in my own clothes, too.

“Sayumi,” I said, feeling bold. “Don’t look at me that way…”

She laughed. “What way? I like your outfit, alright?”

"Thanks..."

Sayumi hid her expression by sipping her drink.

“This wine is shit,” she said suddenly, and then we both were laughing.

“No- no, I didn’t want to say anything…”

“It’s horrible,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I told her. “I’ll drink it anyway.”

Sayumi laughed at that. “It’s just what I had in the fridge,” she explained. “I needed something to calm down.”

“I completely understand.”

“You do?”

I was nodding really fast. “Of course. After yesterday…”

Sayumi didn’t respond with words, just gave that funny nervous laugh, and gulped down more of her drink.

“Shit,” she muttered finally. “I’m sorry about that.”

I was honestly surprised to hear her say that. “What?” I asked. “Why?”

Sayumi shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “That was a stupid thing to do.”

“No it wasn't,” I said, and tipped more wine down my throat. At this point I didn’t care about the taste, it just felt so good, like liquid confidence that could shatter my nerves.

“Did you feel it?” asked Sayumi, and I could hear in her voice that she was feeling the alcohol. But what did she mean by that?

“Did I feel it?” I replied, and felt myself start to laugh. “Oh my god…”

“What?”

I felt warmth in my face, and spreading through my body, and my fingers were numb where they clutched my glass. “What?” I said right back at her. Everything felt like a joke, and yet there was nothing funny about the feelings she had given me the day before.

Sayumi stumbled over her words. “So… so you felt it?” she asked me.

I nodded, voice soft. “Yeah…”

She looked in my eyes, and I couldn’t read her expression.

“Did _you?_ ” I asked.

Sayumi nodded, and that was all I needed to know. My heart was thumping fast as hell. I tipped back my glass, pouring the rest of the wine down my throat, then set it down and licked my lips. Sayumi just sat there, looking almost afraid.

“What do we do now?” she asked me.

I shrugged, mumbling. “I don’t know.”

She followed my lead and finished her drink. Then she stared at me so directly, until suddenly she shook her head, as though telling herself to stop. Finally she looked at me again, eyes pleading as though I could help her understand what was going through her head.

Then Sayumi stood up to come and sit next to me, and I knew it was all over. She took my face in her hand, and then her lips were on mine, making all of my senses go crazy. She pulled away too soon, and I was left to pull her back on my own. Everything felt amazing under the influence of that awful chardonnay, as if we were floating on a cloud above the rest of the world. I felt like Sayumi was trying too hard to be a good kisser, but god, I didn’t care. She could kiss me any way she wanted.

“Why are we doing this,” she muttered finally.

“I don’t know,” I replied.

“Feels so good,” she said, and kissed me again. I had to agree. Then her mouth was at my neck, and I heard myself moaning - it didn’t sound at all like my voice.

“Coto,” Sayumi whispered all husky. “Do you want to sleep over?”

Did she mean…?

“I won’t say no,” I replied, and she sighed against my neck. Then she tugged me closer, and went on kissing hungrily.

Had we both lost our minds?

Soon enough - or too soon - I was lying on her bed, and she was shoving down my wrists against the sheets. I stared up at her, completely at her mercy, and Sayumi got that look in her eyes. She grabbed at my thighs to get between them, and I had no control over the desperate sounds I made as she moved against me, thrusting as though she was fucking me. The bed creaked beneath us, and I started getting lost in the fantasy of it all.

I wanted her to fuck me. I was this close to making it happen, and demanding that she fuck me right there.

Then Sayumi fell still on top of me, gasping for breath.

“I can’t do this,” she told me.

Oh, thank god.

"It's okay," I told her. I couldn't either. Not really.

“I’m sorry,” she told me, and lay down beside me instead.

“No, I’m sorry.”

“I really respect you,” she said, which was laughable after what we had just been doing... but I understood. She was keeping us from making a terrible mistake.

“I respect you too,” I told her.

“I just want to sleep.”

"Yes. Please."

 

When I woke the next morning, my first thought was that I overslept. I was far too rested, and sunlight was streaming through the window. Whose window was that? Not mine.

Then I saw Sayumi sleeping beside me, so peaceful. She squinted in the sunlight, and finally blinked her eyes open. When she looked at me, the memories came rushing back. I felt flashes of shame and regret, but my thoughts finally settled at peace.

“Good morning,” I told her, and shifted beneath the covers. I realized then that I must have borrowed her pajamas.

“Coto…” She sighed and lay back. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah,” I told her. I realized in that moment that our passion was gone - maybe even forever.

“I had the strangest dream,” she told me, and I almost started to laugh.

“That you got in bed with me?”

“No…” Sayumi chuckled with a glance at me. “I was on stage, and…” She sighed with a pained look. “Do you ever get those dreams where everything goes wrong? And it feels like your career is over?”

“Sure,” I told her. “But don’t worry. It was only a dream.”

“Yeah.” Sayumi shifted beside me, snuggling into the covers. “What time is it?” she asked.

“Uh…” I glanced at the clock. “Eight... almost.”

“Let’s go back to sleep.”

Well… I couldn’t argue with that.


End file.
